France on Thursday handed its sole Ivory Coast military base back to its former colony, APA reports citing France 24.
France has been present in the country for decades, and its departure is in line with a growing trend among African countries to reduce their military ties with France.
Ministers from France and Ivory Coast signed a document to confirm the return, shortly after the Ivorian flag was raised in the base’s parade ground.
The 230-hectare Port-Bouet military camp flanking Ivory Coast’s main city has been a fixture in the country’s life for decades and helped stabilize the world’s top cocoa producer after coups and unrest broke out in the stable nation after 2000.
The withdrawal of French troops, announced by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara in December, is part of a regional trend of African countries diluting military ties with France.
The links between the two armies date back to the early 1960s and a defense agreement signed between the two countries in the aftermath of Ivory Coast’s independence.
About 1,000 French soldiers were deployed in Port-Bouet and helped in the fight against jihadists, who launch regular attacks across the wider region.
Both sides said the handover was worked upon harmoniously.
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